Wendy and Dorothy
by Loony123
Summary: 6 months after the events of Peter Pan Wendy's American pen pal Dorothy Ellis comes to stay with the Darlings. When the two girls find themselves whisked away to Neverland Wendy finds herself battling between her feelings for Peter and her friendship with Dorothy. (Requested by Retro Mania)
1. Introduction

Wendy could remember the night she came back from Neverland better than she could remember anything. She had relived the moment so many times that it had seemed to have soldered itself into the front of her mind as clear as the day it had happened. Wendy missed her adventures in Neverland more than she could have ever believed it possible. She missed the excitement and the thrill. And those brief moments between the action when she could enjoy the peace and quiet for a few moments. She missed everything out Neverland but the thing that Wendy missed most of all was Peter. She missed everything about him from his dark eyes to his cheeky and arrogant manner. Every night, she would stare out her bedroom window at the stars, which seemed so much further away than they once had, as if hoping to see his familiar silhouette in the distance or the tiny darting light of Peter's vain little fairy Tinkerbell. Wendy had dreamed a thousand times about Peter coming back for her or even just chance for her to see him again but deep down she knew that he wasn't coming back. That he was away in Neverland having new, exciting adventures without her, that he may have even forgotten her. It was this knowledge that pained Wendy most of all. But through all of this Wendy's reason for her return still remained, she knew that her adventures had prepared her for one thing. They had been her chance to make the most of her childhood and appreciate the beauty of her youth before it was time for her to accept the fact that she must grow up. For all children grow up, accept one.

But even though Wendy knew she would probably never return to Neverland again, it didn't mean that she would ever let herself forget a single moment of the adventures that she had there. Every night before they went to bed she would tell her brothers stories of their adventures and the three of them would act them out. Reliving the moments in their minds and remembering every detail of each adventure. Then when all the excitement was over their nurse, Nanna, would tuck them up in bed where the adventures could continue in their dreams. Wendy's life had gone back to normal, as if she had never been away.

But after a few months everything began to change. Wendy was moved into her own room away from her brothers in order to concentrate on her work. Her parents also found her something else new, a pen pal who lived in America, Dorothy Ellis. Her mother and father had been talking and believed it would be a great idea for Wendy to have someone her age to talk to. Before long Wendy seemed to be spending more time writing to Dorothy than she did playing with her brothers. She felt that even though her and Dorothy had never met they seemed to have made a very strong bond between them. Wendy found herself confiding in Dorothy whenever she had a problem and Dorothy seemed to do the same for her. After Wendy had been writing to Dorothy for almost two months she found out some exciting news. Dorothy was coming over to England. Finally the two girls could meet and Wendy couldn't be more excited.


	2. Impressions

Chapter one

Wendy woke to the soft sound of her mum whispering in her ear. The early morning was sun was sending rays of bright warm light through the open window into the room where Wendy was sleeping. The morning seemed hot and humid but there was a light cool breeze hanging in the air. Wendy yawned and turned over sleepily. She could hear the quiet mumbles and complaints from her brothers as her mother pried them from their beds. Then suddenly, she remembered today was the day, the day she was going to finally meet Dorothy. Suddenly, Wendy found herself drowning in a sudden wave of emotions; excitement, nervousness, happiness… She didn't know how to feel. She had wanted to meet Dorothy from the moment they had started writing to each other. But what if she wasn't what she expected. What if she found that the two of them had nothing in common? Wendy pushed all the negative thoughts to the back of her mind. She knew that she and Dorothy would get on like a house on fire there was no reason why they shouldn't. Quickly, Wendy got out of bed and went over to the wardrobe. Her mother had helped her to pick out a dress for the occasion. It was one of her favourites, a knee-length white frock with frills around the collar and a blue sash around the middle. Hastily she changed out of her nightgown and in to the dress. Wendy looked at herself in the large mirror in the corner of the room she liked the way that the dress made her look. Older and more sophisticated like her mother. She tied her blond hair back with a blue ribbon to match her sash and made her way downstairs to breakfast.

When Wendy reached the dining room the rest of the family were already there. Her mother and father sat at the head of the table with her two brothers on either side wriggling uncomfortably in the tight collars they were wearing. Wendy sat down next to John and tucked into the fresh bread and butter that had been carefully placed in the centre of the table.

"Dorothy is due to arrive in England in approximately three hours' time," Mrs Darling said, looking at the large grandfather's clock in the dining room. "We can go up to go meet her. I am sure you two will get along splendidly."  
Wendy nodded the fresh bread tasting suddenly more dry and solid in her mouth as she recalled all the things she had told Dorothy over her letters. She had told her all about her secret ambition of becoming a writer, even though she knew it wasn't a very lady like profession, and all her other big hopes and dreams. Maybe she should have kept them a secret until she knew Dorothy better. What if she thought her childish to have such fantasies?

"Are you Ok Wendy?" John asked. "You've only eaten half a slice of bread."  
"Yes, I'm fine I just don't feel very hungry now. That's all." Wendy said. Pushing her plate away from her. After the table had been cleared, the family got ready to go collect Dorothy.

Wendy usually loved travelling in the carriages. She loved the open air, and the familiar, regular pattern of the horse's hooves hitting the road, and the wind blowing through her hair. Bu t today she was too nervous to appreciate any of these things as she travelled through the busy London streets. She couldn't wait to meet Dorothy. She had created a thousand different looks for her in her mind. She had thought she knew a lot about Dorothy from the letters she had written but the more she thought about it, the more she realised that really she knew very little about her at all.

"What's wrong Wendy?" Michael asked. "You like very pale."  
"I'm fine," Wendy replied bluntly.  
Michael gazed up at her with his big eyes. Wendy knew how much her younger brothers looked up to her and how she must set a good example.  
Slowly, she heaved Michael up to sit on her lap, he was a lot heavier than he used to be when they were in Neverland. He was almost 5 now.  
"Do you remember…" Wendy began, watching Michaels face light up with excitement at the coming of another story.  
"when we were in Neverland and me and Peter took you to meet the mermaids for the first time. You were very excited because of all the stories I had told you about mermaids before we came to Neverland. But then when we actually met them they weren't like you expected at all. Instead of having long hair like seaweed and webbed hands and feet and skin with the slightest blue tinge. They were blond and vain like Louise from school…"  
Michael nodded.  
"I'm worried that meeting Dorothy will be like that. What if she's not like what I expect? What if we don't get along at all?"  
"It won't matter." Michael said. Wendy looked down at him in surprise. "You still have us."

Dorothy was waiting at the side of the road for the Darlings to come collect her. She had arrived an hour earlier than had been predicted so she had been waiting patiently for the Darlings to arrive whilst observing the busy British streets. Everything seemed so different here. Still feeling slightly disorientated from her long journey Dorothy paced up and down a few times. Listening to the sound of carts being pulled past and the polite chatter as people continued on their daily business. Dorothy's legs still hadn't got used to the English ground yet. She felt wobbly and sick.

Suddenly, a carriage pulled up beside the road. "Dorothy Ellis?" a kindly voice said.  
Dorothy nodded and looked up to get her first view of the darling family.  
She recognised them all immediately from Wendy's descriptions in her letters.  
Sat on the seat closest to her was a strict and stiff looking man sat in the seat closest to her, Dorothy assumed that he must be Mr Darling.  
Mrs Darling sat beside her she was a pretty young women in a pink dress her hair tied back into an elegant knot on the back of her head. She gave Dorothy a warm welcoming smile.  
Behind her sat a two boys one was tall and gangly with a pair of round glasses balance precariously on the end of his nose, John Darling.  
The other smaller with big wide eyes like a teddy bear, Michael Darling.  
Then next to them Dorothy got her first glimpse of Wendy Darling. She obviously had her mother's good looks with long sandy blond hair tied back into a ponytail and a pristine white dress.

They looked like the perfect family.

Wendy glanced nervously at Dorothy as her father helped her to get onto the carriage with her case. She didn't really look anything like she imagined her. She looked smarter more grown up. Wendy suddenly found herself feeling very childish in comparison. She knew that Dorothy was only her age but if she hadn't known that she probably would have thought that she was at least two years older. Everything about her seemed more sophisticated. The dress she was wearing was long and reminded her of her mother's evening gowns, her long blond hair was tied back in an elegant knot and she was very tall with a perfect figure for someone her age. But there was something that set her apart from other girls there age that Wendy couldn't quite put her finger on.

Dorothy sat down next to Wendy. She could tell that she was just as nervous as she was her eyes flickered from side to side like a frightened moth as if she wasn't really sure where to look. Her arm was shaking slightly and her face was pale. And when Wendy looked closer she noticed tiny beads of sweat on her forehead.  
"Are you OK?" Wendy asked.  
Dorothy shook her head.  
Hastily, she leaned over the side of the carriage and vomited violently.

Dorothy was so embarrassed. Her first night in England staying with the Darlings, her only chance to make a good first impression and she had spent the entire night throwing up in the sick room. What must Wendy think of her? What must Mr and Mrs Darling think of her? So much for first impressions. She had wanted to appear grown up, sophisticated, different, exciting. Someone that the Darling family what want to get to know. Someone John and Michael would look up to. Someone Mr and Mrs Darling would be proud to have in their house, someone that Wendy would want to be friends with. But instead they probably thought that she was weak and childish having caused so much fuss on her first night. Dorothy sat up in the temporary bed the Darlings had given her in the sick room. She felt better today her head was clearer and she didn't feel so wobbly. She knew that she had to get up to prove that although she had been ill last night she had recovered fast and what not cause them any more trouble. This time she was determined to make the right impression.

Slowly, Dorothy stood up her legs still felt slightly unstable under her body but she managed to gain her balance. Dorothy opened the door of the sick room and stared down the short corridor. She could hear the polite chatter of breakfast from the furthest room from her and so she followed the noise quickly. She heard Wendy's excited laugh and her brother's squeals of delight. Then she heard there mother and father hushing them and ushering them into their chairs. Opening the door she stepped into the dining room. It was bright and cosy room with a warm fire and comfy furniture. The Daring family looked up as she entered. Wendy gave her a warm, welcoming smile which Dorothy received gratefully. She realised that she must look dreadful she was still in her night dress and her hair had not yet been brushed.  
"How are you feeling dear?" Mrs Darling asked.  
"I'm okay. Thank you," Dorothy replied.  
"Please sit down." Mrs Darling gestured to the empty seat next to Wendy and Dorothy sat down. She looked around at the wonderful array of food in front of her, everything seemed so different from back home she wanted to try everything!

Wendy laughed at Dorothy sat next to her who seemed to think that if she did not eat all the food quick enough it would disappear. Dorothy looked at her apologetically and continued to eat politely. Slowly, this time. She couldn't help but notice that when she was eating at a reasonable pace she seemed to have a lot better table manners than the Darling children. She remembered all the British stereotypes back in America but the Darling children didn't seem at all like that. Mr and Mrs Darling seemed more like what she believed the British to be like they were polite, used long, funny words and had an air of pride about them, especially Mr Darling. But Wendy and the two boys were very different. They weren't impolite in anyway but they messed around a lot, despite Mr Darlings glares after John flicked a sugar cube at Wendy. They didn't seem to be particularly proud or judgemental, in fact they had welcomed Dorothy to the breakfast table as if she was already part of the family. And Wendy had even admitted that she didn't even like tea!  
Dorothy wandered if she was anything like they expected her to be, she wandered how the British portrayed Americans. What was there stereotype? She made a mental note to ask Wendy about it later.

After most of the breakfast food had been completely devoured Mrs Darling asked Wendy if she would like to show Dorothy to the room which they would be sharing.  
Dorothy looked up suddenly at the word 'sharing' she had never shared a room with anyone before and she wasn't sure that she wanted to. She liked her room to be a private place reserved only for her. Somewhere where she could go to get away from the rest of the world for a bit and spend time on her own.  
Quickly, she tried to hide her shock of having to share a room but Wendy noticed. Dorothy saw had seen her glance at her when she had looked up.  
"Come on," Wendy said standing up. "I'll take you to your room." Narrowing her eyes at Dorothy suspiciously as if contemplating whether she was going to complain or not.  
"Of course," Dorothy replied, politely.  
She had almost completely forgotten about her dizziness before she stood up. But as soon as she did her head started spinning dramatically. She sat back down again hurriedly.  
"Are you Ok?" Wendy asked.  
Dorothy nodded and forced herself to stand up again and followed Wendy out of the room. Trying to ignore the way the staircase seemed to be swaying gently from side to side in front of her. "I'm fine," she kept repeating to herself quietly she didn't want to cause the Darlings any more grief than she already had.


End file.
